Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-04-24

away. He looked up, and caught Bessie
watching him with an air Of curiosity ana
amusement. jess was still leaning against
the piano. and gently touching the notes
over which her head was bentfow, showing
the coils of curling hair which were twisted
round il like cOronet
'fWeIl, Captain Mel, said the old man.
waving his pipe in her direction, ana
what do you say to my singing BIRDS
music. eh? Isn't it enough to draw the
heart out of man, eh, and turn his mar
row to water, eh?'
az never heard anything quite like 1t, ,
he answered, simply, land / have heard
most singers. 1t is beautiful. Certainly,
| never expected to hear such singing IN
the Transyaal."
She turned quickly, and he observed
that, though her eyes were alight with ex-
element, her face was asimpassiye as ever.
There is no need for you to laugh at me,
CAPTAIN Mel, !" she said, quickly, and then,
with an abrupt Goodnight" LEFT the
room.
The old man smiled, jerked the stem oil
his pipe over his shoulder after her, ana
winked in a way that, no doubt, meant
unutterable things, but which did not con-
yey much to his astOnished guest, who sat
still and said nothing. Then Bessie got
mn aud babe him goodnight in her pleas
ant voice, and with housewifely care IN
auired as to whether his room was to MS
liking, and how many blankets he llKed
upon his bed, telling him that If he lonna
the odor of the mOonhOwers that grew near
the yeranda too strong, he had better shut
the right hand window and open that on
the other side of the room; and then AT
length, with piquant little nod oil ner
golden head, she went on, looking, De
tboughta as he watched her retTeating figure,
about as healthy, graceful, and generally
satisfactory young woman rs man
could wish to see.
''Take glass of grog, Captain Mel,
said the old man, pushing the square bot
tie towards him, you'll need it after the
hauling that brute gave you. by the way,
haven't thanked you enough Tor saving
nv Bessie! But do thank you, yes, that
[ do. must tell you that Bessie Is my
tayorite niece. Never was there such
oirl-never. Moves like a springbuck,
and what an eye and form! Work, too
she'll do "a much work as three. There's
no nonsense about Bessie, none at all. She's
not a fine lady, for all her fine looks. ~.
1.-The two sisters seem very different,
said John.
SAY. YOU'RE right there said the old
man. you'd never think that the same
blood ran in their veins, would you?
There's three years between them, that's
one thing. Bessie's the youngest, you see
she's inst twenty, and Jess is twenty
three. Lord. TO think that it is twenty
three years since that girl was born. And
theirs was queer story too.
Indeed" said his listener, inteIroga-
lively.
CAV" he went on absently, knocking
out his pipe. and rehlling it out OF big
brown lar of coarse-cut BOer tobacco, "lll
tell il TO YOU if you like; you are going to
live in the house, and you may as we'll
know it. am sure, Captain Mel, that II
will 90 no further. You see | was born III
in England, yes, and well born too |
come from neutrality-suspicious. the fat
fen-land down round Ely. My father was
a clergyman. Well, he wasn't rich, and
when was twenty he gave me his bless
ing, thirty sovereigns in my pocket, and
nv passage to the Cape; and | shook his
hand, God bless him, and of came, anu
here in the old colony and this country
| have been for fifty years, for was seventy
Yesterday. Well, I'll tell you more about
that another time it's about the gllls m
speakinm now. After | left home twenty
wears after or hard OH tiny dear old
| father married again, a yOunglSh woman
with some money, but beneath him some
what in lie, and by her he had one son
and then died Well, it was but little
heard of my half-brother, except that he
had turned out very badly, married, and
| taken to drink, till one night some twelve
years ago, when strange thing happened
| / was sitting here in this very room, ay, IN
this very chair for this part of the house
was ND then, though the wings weren't
built-aud smoking my pipe, aud listening
| To the lashing Of the rain, Tor it was very
foul night when suddenly an old pointer
dog had, named Ben, gave a bark.
"I.ie down, Ben, it's only the Kailirs, "
said |.
"Just then thought heard faint sort
of rapping at the door, aud Ben barGed
again, so | got up aud opened it, and in
came two little girls wrapped mp in old
shawls or some such gear. Well, | shut
the door, looking out first to see If there
were any more outside, and then | stood
and stared ut the two little things with my
mouth open. There they stood, hand in
hand, the water dripping form both OF
them, and eldest might have been eleven,
aud the second about eight. They didn't
say ANYTHING, but the ED st turned and
took the shawl and hat of the younger
that was BesSie-aud there was her sweet
little face aud her golden hair, and damp
enough both of them were, aud she put
her thumb in her mouth, and stood and
looked at me till began to think that |
was dreaming.
/" please, sir said the biggest at last,
is this Mr.. CrOirs house-Mr. Croft
SOnth African Republic?
"'Yes, little miss, this is his house, and
this is the South African Republic, and
am he. And now who might you he, my
dears?' answered.
eff you please, sir. we are your nieces,
and we have come to You from England.
What halloaed, startled out of my
wits, as.well might be.
ooh, sir says the poor little thing,
clasping her thin, wet hands, please don
send US away. Bessie is so wet, and cold
and hungry too, she isn't fit TO 90 any
farther
"And she set to work to cry, whereOn
the little one cried too, from fright and
cold and sympaty.
"Well, of course took them both to the
fire. and set them on my knees, and hal.
loaed for Hebe the old HOttentOt woman
who did my cooking, aud between us We
undressed them, aud wrapped them up in
some old clothes, and fed them with soup
and wine, so that in half an hour they
were quite happy and not a bit frightened,
"'Aud now, young ladies, | said, come
and give me kiss, both of yOu, and tell
me how you came here.
"And this is the tale they told me-com,
pleted, of course, from what | learned If
terwards-and an odd one it is. 1t seems
that my halEbrOther married Norfolk
lady-a sweet young thing-and treated
her like dog. He was n drunken rascal,
was my hali-brother, and he beat his poor